The King's War

20. Bait

NATHANIEL

Daphne Sinclair had warned me.

She told me that someone had sought her help in eliminating me, and I dismissed her. A problem for another time, I had thought. I was an idiot.

Daphne Sinclair was working for the rebels. I had no proof beyond her vague admission and my own instincts, but it had to be true. What were the odds for there to be yet another powerful and dangerous witch who would aid my enemies in hiding Avery? And who else would want to hurt me save for the rebels?

There was the west, of course. Abel and John were far from pleased with my meddling in their war, but kidnapping my girlfriend from her own home didn't seem like their style. Not to mention the fact that they wanted Daphne dead.

No, it had to be rebels. They must've had an operative in the area; someone with access to Avery. Which meant I was back where I started, with my very first suspects.

Balthazar warned me against antagonizing the Bells, but I had no choice. If they really were innocent, my investigation would prove it.

I began by finding out Chase Colter's work schedule. Yes, I promised Balthazar I wouldn't bother him, but I couldn't stake Avery's life on his word. Chase knew something, I could feel it. Just because he had an alibi didn't mean he wasn't involved. He may have been aware of Avery's location and tipped someone off. So I had his apartment and car wired with surveillance equipment, on the off chance he did something incriminating. I hated to go to such lengths for what might as well be an innocent man, somehow I doubted there was an innocent bone in Chase's body.

I'd looked deeper into his records, and what I found was troubling. Before he started working security for Balthazar, he'd been in the army. While I valued anyone who served my kingdom, Chase Colter had not been a model soldier. While his superiors noted his skills in combat, they reported a major problem with insubordination. The thing that stood out the most, however, was his reportedly excellent marksmanship. He'd trained as a sniper.  

So not only was he a possible rebel, but he could've been the very rebel responsible for the most recent attempt on my life. I tried to push that thought aside. At this point, it was only speculation and it wouldn't do me any good tonight.

Technically, I wasn't breaking Balthazar's promise. He told me not to question Chase but said nothing about me finding out information in other ways. No, I wasn't staking him out for the purpose of an interrogation, but something else entirely. Something that could lead me straight to Avery.

It was late at night, nearly time for him to leave his post at the Albany Capitol building. His Buick was parked along the road next to the Capitol, and I waited along the same road in my limousine.

Recalling the memory of the Sisters' spell, of those ominous words etched into the tabletop, gave me chills. I'd been so hopeful, thinking that magic would be is all it would take to find Avery. I should've expected it wouldn't be that easy. Instead of finding answers, I'd learned that my situation was far direr than I anticipated.

I'd also soured my relationship with the Sister's of Hecate for good, but that was something I'd worry about another day. I'd written them a $70,000 check to cover whatever trauma they might've experienced that night. Hope Mrs. Brandon liked her new dining table.

As I waited for Chase Colter to leave the building, I pondered how I was going to get Avery out from under the clutches of a witch as powerful as Daphne Sinclair. Perhaps I shouldn't have been so quick to dismiss Frost's proposal. Or Amelia's for that matter.

How had my life gone so wrong, so quickly? It felt like fate itself was conspiring against me. The morale around the palace and in my cabinet seemed as low as my own these days, with everyone grumbling about how I was neglecting my duties because of the investigation. Sure, I could let other people handle everything, but I couldn't help it. I had to be at the forefront. This was about Avery. Busying myself with her search was the only thing that kept me sane. If I simply sat and waited for results from other people, I'd snap.